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Hello. Newbie here. I have been practicing on my new to me non-stitch regulated Ultimate 2 for about a month and have a few questions for the experts here. My practice quilt sandwiches have been muslin/batting/muslin and I was finally getting pretty good stitch quality and decent stitch length - not perfectly consistent length, but not horrible either. Sooooooo, I decided to try some small charity quilts (Quilts for Kids). On the first two, it just seemed like I couldn't get into a rhythm, not sure if it was nerves or what (the finished quilts did look okay, though) - and I noticed that there were sections where the stitches looked fine and then all of a sudden there would be a section about an inch or so long where it looked like the thread was stretched tight. The stitches weren't any longer than the section before or after it, so I'm wondering - could it be a tension issue or is it a result of me moving the machine too fast or a little of both? The stitch quality on the third quilt seemed much better and more consistent. So is it just PPP? I used Glide thread on top and prewound bobbins on all 3 quilts. The batting was a little heavier on the third quilt and I believe the fabric was better quality as well. Does that make a difference? Also, for those of you that use non-stitch regulated machines, how fast do you set the speed control? The control on my machine goes from 0-10 and the last quilt I stitched on #6. Just curious what others do. I've noticed that if I speed up a little, my circles and curves are smoother than when I go slowly. Is this normal? How fast is too fast? My machine gets noticeably louder the faster it stitches - I'm assuming this is normal? I haven't had too much exposure around other longarms and I don't want to blow anything up! One more question (okay maybe two) - How can I tell if I need a new bobbin case? How do you know if the tension check spring or tension control assembly needs to be replaced? Other than cleaning the bobbin area and oiling the wicks, are there other maintenance steps that I should be doing/checking to keep everything in good shape? I am really enjoying getting to know my Ultimate 2. I had no idea how much there is to learn and have never adjusted thread tension so much in my life! LOL Thanks for all your help!!! I should note that I was using a pantograph for the above quilts, if that makes a difference.

I just purchased my first long arm machine. It is an used Ultimate II, non stitch regulated. I'm learning, but need some help. I am having a few loops on the underside of my practice pieces. Can anyone direct me to a manual or video that helps new owners figure things out? Kinda like if this happens (top thread shredding) then you check this, this, and/or this. If your stitches are looping underneath, then you check this..... Does this make sense? It appears there is limited amount of trouble shooting videos on the web. Or at least I haven't found it. I am a <have to see it to learn it> type of person. Although this forum is very beneficial, if I can't see it then I'm having trouble assimilating it into action. Also, does someone have any suggestions on the speed control dial? I'm not sure how that works and how I need to adjust my speed in order to have it all working together. Thank you. Robbin